Saturday,
March 17 (posted March 19)
Several days have passed since
I last posted a blog. We had a great Internet connection in
Lafayette, Louisiana. Sightseeing, however, took precedence, giving
me more material to include in my blog. (I quickly I forget that the
blog records the travel, travel is not meant to support the blog. :-)
)
On Wednesday, March 14th,
Duffy and I drove south through Lafayette to the site of
Vermilionville, a recreated Cajun-Creole village. The historic
replica had actually been moved from its original location, and was
the predecessor to Lafayette. Named after the Vermilion River that
runs through Lafayette, the name was later changed to honor the
French general.
Down the road from
Vermilionville stands the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and
Preserve – Acadian Cultural Center (one of the six national
historic sites scattered throughout Louisiana including the one we
visited in the French Quarter of New Orleans). We were encouraged by
a volunteer at Vermilionville to visit the National Park Service site
before going into the village, to see the 35-minute film and walk
through the museum. So we did. The film was very educational for me
in providing an understanding of the origins of Cajun and Creole
peoples and cultures.
Deciding to come back on
Thursday to wander through the village to view the history at
leisure, we traveled on south to Avery Island, the site of the
Tabasco plant, makers of the sauce that is a staple in
kitchens across American and on restaurant dining tables everywhere.
To get onto Avery Island, which
instead of an island in the water is actually a land-locked salt
dome, we crossed a small bridge spanning a narrow river. At the
gatehouse we purchased our entry ticket. The ticket taker in the
small booth, a good number of feet away from our car on the passenger
side, said, “Don't get out” and reached across the space with a
long stick in his hand to which was attached a clothespin. I secured
a $20 bill to the clothespin, which he then drew in, returning it
with a day pass and my change. Not high technology, but it worked.
The salt dome that made up the
island had been pushed above ground many centuries before by
pressures below, and later became the site of the first salt mine in
North America, according to the literature. Tabasco uses this
natural salt to season its various sauces. Salt is also packed on
top of the closed, recycled whiskey barrels to prevent insects and
critters from getting into the curing peppers by way of small holes
left for escaping gases.
Did you know that the peppers
used to make Tabasco sauces are grown in South and Central America
from seeds harvested on Avery Island? Did you also know that the
peppers, a small capsicum variety, are mixed with a small amount of
salt mined from the island and fermented in the re-purposed oak
whiskey barrels for three years before being bottled?
A fascinating place 'Tabasco'
on Avery Island is. Beautiful, lushly green and blooming with all
sorts of spring blossoms. On the 'island', along with the Tabasco
“factory,” is Jungle Gardens, a drive-through garden first
established by one of the “Tabasco” family to reintroduce and
protect the Snowy Egret, a large, beautiful, white wading bird which
had become endangered in the early twentieth century. To this day,
Avery Island is managed under strict ecological, environmental, and
conservation standards. If I didn't have an aversion to really hot
sauce, I might season my food all the time with Tabasco just
to support their principles.
We did return the following day
(Thursday) to walk through the village, taking in the history both
written and living in the form of volunteer spinners, blacksmiths,
woodworkers, and others not there when we were. The best find of the
day was a small alligator floating on a bayou adjacent to the
grounds. Good eyes, Duffy. Merely eyes and a few spines showing
above water.
On Friday morning, March 16,
after four consecutive nights at the Lafayette KOA (actually in
Scott, LA), with the fourth night free, – worth mentioning because
we are trying to get by on $100 per day and the trip up to now has
averaged more than that – I got up early to do laundry at the park
facilities, while Duffy finished some computer work. Then we packed
up and headed back to Texas, breaking camp just after noon.
One of my disappointments in
visiting Louisiana has been the food. I looked forward to trying
Cajun and Creole local specialties and the crawfish that are now in
season. But, for some reason MSG is included in all the sauces and
seasonings used to prepare the local the ethnic dishes, transforming
gluten-free foods into ones I cannot or dare not eat.
Red-beans-and-rice became my Cajun/Creole staple. I was not so
disappointed for myself, but for Duffy who likes to try new foods,
and loves Creole dishes. He would not eat at a restaurant if I could
not find something to eat it, too. We did eat out on occasion, and
either I had Red Beans and Rice or salad with vinegar and oil, while
Duffy sampled the house specialties. I love him for his devotion and
concern, but still wished for him to taste more of Louisiana cuisine.
It is worth noting for those of
you who have not been to Louisiana and plan to go at some point, that
this state has some of the worst drivers we have ever seen.
Tailgating, cutting off cars in traffic at high speed without
signaling, weaving in and out, passing when there is no passing lane,
all are traits of Louisiana drivers. It's amazing that there are not
more collisions than happen already, and we saw plenty. Highway on
and off ramps look like after thoughts, barely distinguishable from
the frontage or side roads, and about as well marked. This might be
due to the flat terrain in this part of the country. We will take a
big breath when we arrive again in Texas, where there are other
driving patterns and idiosyncrasies to become accustomed to all over
again.
Onward – the return west and
the great Gulf-bird-hunt begins. Could this be our Big Year? :~)
Until Next Time,
Pam
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